FARIDABAD
Power blackout in villages a ruse to recover dues?Faridabad, August 20
There seems to be an unofficial power blackout in several villages of the district. Although the Power Department cites various reasons for the disruption, it is believed that non-payment of electricity bills has a direct bearing on the matter.

Rebate revoked, society residents to
pay moreNew Delhi, August 20Thousands of people living in group housing society flats across the Capital will now have to pay higher property tax as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has withdrawn the 15 per cent tax rebate, claiming that this was against the prevailing law.

Ragging: IIT expels five from hostelNew Delhi, August 20The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has expelled five students from the Aravalli hostel; the action came in the wake of the inquiry committee submitting its report on the allegation of ragging of a freshman, Prakash Rajpurohit.
The decision to expel the students from the hostel was taken at a
meeting of the IIT disciplinary committee here yesterday.

Blueline gutted at CNG pump, blaze at VivekNew Delhi, August 20Two fire incidents were reported in the city in the last 24 hours.
In the first incident, a fire broke out at a CNG station in the wee hours, gutting a Blueline in Mahipalpur on the Delhi-Gurgaon national highway.

Firemen trying to douse the blaze at Vivek cinema in Patel Nagar on Wednesday morning.
— A Tribune photograph

A tiny supporter waits for Sonia
Gandhi at her residence in the Capital on the 59th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.
— Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Sheila backtracking on statehood: KhuranaNew Delhi, August 20Recriminations over the issue of statehood for Delhi intensified today with the BJP accusing Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of “deliberately creating doubts” over the Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha and offering to discuss any suggestions or changes mooted by the Congress.

CRIME SPIRALMan
shot dead outside schoolGhaziabad, August 20A man, who had gone to fetch his children from school,
was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in broad daylight in
Harvansh Nagar under the Sihani Gate police station yesterday,
spreading panic in the busy locality.

HEALTH WATCH
Resist the urge, popping pills at will could be killingNew Delhi, August 20
Akhilesh, a South Delhi-based software engineer, felt severe pain in the stomach recently. He went to a nearby druggist and bought a painkiller. Two hours after he took the tablet, he fell unconscious.

New Delhi, August 20The Justice Party, which claims to be emerging as an alternative to the existing Dalit leadership, today launched its election campaign for the coming Delhi Assembly poll, promising to solve the problem of housing and employment for Dalits, minorities and migrants in the Capital.Justice Party kicks off its election campaign at Talkatora Stadium in the Capital on Wednesday.

Chautala failed to adjust retrenched
employees: HSMITCRohtak, August 20The All Employees Association of Haryana State Minor Irrigation and Tubewell Corporation (HSMITC) has charged the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, with backtracking on his promise to adjust the retrenched employees of HSMITC to other departments.

An illuminated Birla temple on the occasion of
Janamashtmi in the Capital.
— Tribue photo Mukesh Aggarwal

HUDA administrator directed to appear before ForumSonepat, August 20The District Consumer Forum has issued summons to the administrator of the Haryana Urban Development Authority
(HUDA), Faridabad, and has directed him to appear before the Forum on August 21, in a case of related to refund for non-construction to a plot holder.

Sonia hands over house keys to MCD karamcharisNew Delhi, August 20Ms Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, today distributed possession letters and keys of residential quarters to the safai karamcharis of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi at her residence, on 10 Janpath, on the occasion of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PANIPAT
Stage set for battle for Uniform Civil Code: ManchPanipat, August 20“The stage has been set for the fourth Battle of Panipat on conservatism versus progressivism and fanaticism versus tolerance issues, which would also be fought for a common cause like the previous three battles.”

Flying squad forages for records in fair price shops Sonepat, August 20In a bid to check the irregularities and malpractices in the distribution of wheat flour (atta) among the families living below the poverty line (BPL) in the this city and other parts of the district, officials of the Chief Minister’s flying squad have started recording statements of the owners of the fair price shops and seeking photostat copies of the records from them.

List of loan defaulters to be publishedMeerut, August 20A list of defaulters, who were sanctioned loans out of the term loan issued by the state government for improving the status of minority communities, will be published in newspapers and displayed at public places.

Sugar worth Rs 300 crore lying in godownsRohtak, August 20Prof Virender Singh, president, District Congress Committee (rural) and a former chairman of Haryana Sugar Fed, has cautioned the government that the co-operative sugar mills and the cane growers in the state would be ruined if the government did not change its policy towards them.

Power crisis throws normal life out of gearSonepat, August 20The on-going power crisis has worsened in the city and its suburbs following the loadsheddings enforced by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) at night.

DELHI DIGEST
Cong organises race in memory of Rajiv GandhiNew Delhi, August 20On the occasion of 59th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Delhi Youth Congress today organised a race, ‘Run for the Country’, in the Capital.

NCR BRIEFS
Six booked for dowryFaridabad, August 20Six members of a family, including the husband, have been booked under Dowry Act for allegedly beating up and harassing the victim for not fulfilling the dowry demand. The complainant, resident of Sanjay Colony in Sector 23, alleged that her husband and other in-laws had been responsible for her fleeing to her parents’ house.

Spurious milk product units unearthedGhaziabad, August 20The Ghaziabad police have arrested 13 persons for running two milk product units, which were churning out duplicates of popular brands in Charanjiv Vihar and Loni.
According to the police, one Anuj Garg of Shastri Nagar was operating from House No. 2/356 in Charanjiv Vihar and duplicating a popular brand of ghee for the last six months.

CAMPUS
Poll fever catching on at Delhi UniversityThe zest and the hullabaloo that Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections entail, make it hard even for the most obscure to escape without being affected.
Even if you swear non-allegiance to any political outfit, it is hard to be indifferent to the student “leaders”, who insists on shaking hands and sometimes greeting you with an embrace.Candidates of various political outfits are out to woo the students in DU.
— A file Photo

No medicines for eye flu in Dadri hospitalNoida, August 20Hundreds of people have become victims to conjunctivitis and fever in Dadri town as well as in rural areas, as no medicines to treat these ailments are available in the Government Hospital, Dadri.

Kalmadi adds another plume to his capNew Delhi, August 20Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi has added another plume to his cap with his re-election as a Council Member of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), election to which was held in Paris on Tuesday.

Karun Chandhok drives to third placeNew Delhi, August 20Karun Chandhok scored a pair of third places in rounds 17 and 18 of the British Formula 3 Championship (Scholarship Class). The races over the weekend were held at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire,
where average speeds over a single lap exceed 195 kmph.